Dial-A-Poem Thailand
Date: 24 April 2026 (Friday)
Venue: Bangkok Kunsthalle, Bangkok, 10100 Thailand
“Dial-A-Poem Thailand” (2026), developed by Bangkok Kunsthalle in partnership with Giorno Poetry Systems, challenges conventional notions of poetry, language, and Thai identity. Through a series of interwoven curatorial threads, the body of recordings ruptures and stretches tradition, offering an alternative perspective on what poetry might mean for Thai culture at the outset of the twenty-first century.
The project brings together 35 Thai artists ranging from poets and visual artists to filmmakers and sound artists, from a Buddhist monk to a rapper. The poems are recorded digitally and can be accessed by calling a phone number or by using two physical telephones installed permanently at Bangkok Kunsthalle and Khao Yai Art Forest. When a person calls the number, they hear one of 44 recordings at random, often spoken by the artists themselves. Each dial becomes a private communion between artist and listener—an artwork that exists only for the duration of the recording and through the participation of the listener.
“Dial-A-Poem” first launched in 1968 as the brainchild of the late poet, artist and activist John Giorno. The original “Dial-A-Poem” was radical in its approach and curation—a reflection of the social and political upheavals that marked the 1960s. For this first iteration, Giorno selected radical pioneers, each pushing the boundaries of their respective fields. Participants included Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, avant-garde composer John Cage, punk poet Patti Smith, and Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party.
Text courtesy of Bangkok Kunsthalle.
Photo by Preecha Pattara.
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